05/19/06 Optimism of Apples

It's a quiet time of the year for the fruit industry. Growers are watching the weather and getting ready for harvest. Dave Carlson, president of the Washington Apple Commission is very optimistic about this year's crop. CARLSON: Everybody thinks that we have 10 million boxes hanging on the sprinkler risers this year so (laughs). It looks like we'll have a large apple crop as well as a pretty good cherry crop and a reasonable good pear crop so tree fruit is going to be busy this year. Carlson says this last year's crop was very well received and not only in apples. CARLSON: All appearances are that we'll have this crop sold and eaten before we start the new one. That's always a good sign. The last two years we've had good consumer response. That's been a really good deal and last year you know we had a good cherry deal; pears had a pretty successful year and when you come off a good year it always creates you know, the consumers think boy those were really good last year. Let's just jump on them again this year. Last year our exports; apple exports up through the middle of January were 20% ahead of the year before. It always helps to get off to a good start. Monday we talk with Carlson about the issues facing the tree fruit industry this year. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.